Revealed: New mums take nearly six months to readjust after going back to work

A study of 1,000 mothers who have gone back to work after having a baby found 31 per cent found it harder than they expected to return to their job after an average of 10 months maternity leave.

And almost a quarter found the working environment was nothing like the one they left behind before giving birth.

Almost one in five felt their boss and colleagues didn’t understand what they had been through – mentally and physically - with 14 per cent worried that this meant the effects of medical issues brought on by pregnancy and childbirth made them look unprofessional.

While one in seven felt patronised by their male – and female – colleagues as they learned to juggle work and parenting.

Feeling down

The study by TENA also revealed one in five women were even left in tears after just a few days of being back at work.

Lisa Myers, from TENA, said: “Returning to work after having a baby can be a huge adjustment for many women.

“Regardless of how much you loved your job, or how good you were at it before you had a baby, during that time away, however long or short your maternity leave was, your whole life has changed.

“Your priorities are different and as you try to juggle childcare and your responsibilities as a parent with your job, you can feel isolated and as if no-one understands – particularly if your boss and colleagues don’t have children of their own.

“This is also made worse by the physical and mental effects of having a baby – many of which can still be affecting women months or even years later.

“At a time when confidence levels may already be low as mums adjust to being back in the workplace after months away, issues such as post-natal incontinence can make that return to work even harder – especially with the taboo around it making it difficult to talk about.”